Theater District club buys metal detectors to ferret out crotch knives

Managers at Rumor, 100 Warrenton St., say they immediately began using metal detectors after a bouncer was stabbed during a brawl in the club this past July, with a knife one patron apparently smuggled in under his junk.

But that may not be enough to keep the club out of hot water with the Boston Licensing Board, which decides Thursday what to do about the stabbing and another incident in August during which a club bouncer ran after a guy and, even when ordered away by police, punched him repeatedly in the face. Today's hearings follow earlier incidents at the club.

A security manager at the club told the licensing board this morning that the pat frisks bouncers had been doing obviously failed to detect the knives smuggled in on July 17 by two patrons who decided to whip them out after a lady on the dance floor declined their invitation to socialize and they slapped and punched her and a melee began.

The manager said up until that night he didn't realize guys would be smuggling small knives into the club "in their genital area." He said he learned of that first hand when he chased the stabber down the street and the guy turned to face him and pulled the knife out of his crotch and came at him.

However, he said the club continues to frisk incoming patrons by hand because some now try to bring in plastic knives to evade the metal detectors. He said the dual inspections have worked - the club has been free of weapons-related incidents since then.

That might be good news for Boston Police, which had to call in units from as far away as Brighton and Dorchester that night to quell the mob scene that erupted after the stabbing. Sgt. Paul Brooks, the A-1 patrol supervisor that night, said the club was just full of potential troublemakers. "A number of individuals with substantial records ... were determined to be present inside this establishment" that night, he said.

The manager said the assailant - currently facing a charge of assault with intent to murder - escaped club bouncers trying to hold him for police. He said he ran after the guy and that, at the corner of Warrenton and Stuart, when the guy came at him with the knife in "a swinging motion." he continued, "I took out OC spray, which I'm licensed to carry, and I used it on him and he dropped the knife." Other bouncers arrived - but so did the guy's friend, who began menacing them with his own knife until they dropped him and held him for police, he said,.

In a separate incident on Aug. 18, Sgt. Mark Freire said he was patroling at Stuart and Charles streets when he saw a large guy chasing a much smaller guy. He said saw the large guy looking like he was readying a final charge on his prey, at which point he turned on his blue lights and ordered the pursuer to stop. Instead, he said, the man caught up with his victim and began punching him in the face.

Freire said the attacker turned out to be a Rumor bouncer. Club officials apologized for his actions and said he was fired immediately - he also faces assault-and-battery charges in court. They said the club is bringing in an outside trainer to instruct bouncers on the "acceptable use of force."